IN BRIEF
First impression A kitsch and playful pad for party people.
Staff Bethnal Green locals and others fun enough to be.
Food and drinks A trip around the world… all of it.
Bed and bath Innuendos on the toiletries make practical rooms personal.
The crowd Grown-up backpackers, plus Europeans who know the Mama brand.
In a nutshell Wild, wacky and communal like a hostel, with the comfort and professionalism of a hotel.
Book now
Set the scene
A welcome respite from the bland functionality of London’s budget hotel scene, Mama Shelter has cosiness, colour and fun in abundance. There are clashing prints at every turn, from the chalkboard ceiling to the carpeted floors, and from low-hanging lampshades reminiscent of an English country home to the pillows and tabletops in the restaurant. It’s gimmicky and gaudy with bejewelled Darth Vader masks, retro arcade machines and metal dog sculptures – challenging guests not to take themselves too seriously. This light-hearted approach to design by Parisian up-and-comers Dion & Arles is freeing in East London and makes for a true escape from the City, a stone’s throw away.
What’s the story?
Mama Shelter is a pioneer when it comes to design-led, low-cost urban hotels, so it’s no surprise to see the brand open a spot in London. The concept was dreamed up by the Trigano family, who founded Club Med shortly after World War II, to provide inexpensive, all-inclusive holidays in the Mediterranean for Europeans weary of war. Those times are long gone but the Triganos are at it once again. Three generations have combined forces to create the Mama brand, launching its first Paris hotel in 2008. Since then, they have opened in Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and across Europe, offering up comfortable, well-located rooms that encourage guests to hang out, share food and relax – letting Mama take care of the rest.
What can we expect in our room?
Everything you’d want: a comfortable bed, raindrop shower and not much more. Guests on the top floor can catch a glimpse of the London skyline with the Gherkin and Shard identifiable above the East London houses. Ranging simply from small to large, the bedrooms are unfussy and functional in a stylish flat-packed Ikea kind of way. Oddly, plastic cartoon masks hang on the lamps – encouraging guests to play around and post their fun on social media – while tongue-in-cheek products say things like ‘Mama wants to cream you up’. Made by French company Absolution for Mama Skin, these are delightfully eco-friendly – free of parabens, synthetic perfume and colouring.
- InspirationThe best Greek islands to visit in 2024
How about the food and drink?
Mama Shelter is all about fostering community with its huge sharing tables, big bar and busy open-plan kitchen. There’s an outdoor terrace that’s covered on rainy days to become the ‘Green Room’, which serves signature cocktails with a British theme from a delicate London Cuppa to a punchier Big Smoke. The food, on the other hand, is a hearty global affair with plant-based sharers that include raw rice-paper wraps and cumin-roasted cauliflower, plus starters of burrata, pork-belly bao and gazpacho. These arrive at the same time as main courses (kebabs, ceviche, Asian seabass and burgers), which makes for an overwhelming medley of flavours. Best to come here for a snack (the mac ’n’ cheese side would set you straight after a long, tiring journey) then hit Hackney for some more homogenous fare. That said, breakfast is not included in the price of the room but is well worth opting in for. They lay on a four-table spread of fresh coffee, juice (you can even press your own), pastries, homemade jams and fresh baguettes. There’s yoghurt, nutty granola and a delicious berry compote too, plus hot options – if you can fit it all in.
Anything to say about the service?
Staff are young, friendly and cheeky in all the best ways. Their knowledge of the surrounding area and readiness to help shifts the feel of Mama Shelter from an upmarket hostel to a polished one. There is a real sense that you are being looked after.
What sort of person stays here?
Adventurous city-breakers, solo travellers, and Europeans familiar with the Mama brand. Though everyone is welcome, Mama Shelter is for the open-minded and the fun-inclined – design is idiosyncratic but the offerings are simple, so don’t expect robes in your wardrobe (or a wardrobe at all…) and a mini-bar filled with snacks.
- InspirationThe best Greek islands to visit in 2024
How does it fit into the neighbourhood?
On an industrial main road, a hop away from Cambridge Heath Overground and about a 10-minute walk from Bethnal Green tube station, Mama Shelter stands out in an area not used to hotels – especially not one this big. Then again, painted black with canopies jutting out into the street, it adds finesse to an otherwise fairly gritty thoroughfare. The neighbourhood itself has plenty of cockney charm with workers' cafes such as E Pellicci, which has served the community breakfast since 1900, nearby the beloved Columbia Road Flower Market. Recently, this slice of Hackney has attracted some refined additions to the mix as well.
Anything else?
There are two Japanese-style karaoke rooms in the hotel with classic ’50s-style microphones for you to belt your favourite tunes into without having to embarrass yourself in public, just in front of your friends. There are virtual photo and video booths to document your time in London, as well as table football and a giant in-built Twister board – Mama really is all about entertaining.
- InspirationThe best Greek islands to visit in 2024
And anything you’d change?
We’d lose the masks.
Is it worth staying here?
When it comes to price and location this hotel is almost unbeatable. Bethnal Green is only a 15-minute train ride away from central London but it retains its East End edge.
Address: Mama Shelter, 437 Hackney Rd, London E2 8PP
Telephone: +44 20 7613 6500
Prices: Doubles from £99
Website: mamashelter.com
Like this? Now read:
Things to do in East London
Best New Restaurants In East London
The Hoxton Southwark hotel review: First In
